What does a Sustique sustainable kitchen really cost?
The factual answer is that a complete kitchen budget is shaped by far more than cabinetry.
Appliances, sinks, taps, worktops, flooring, lighting, installation, and even the complexity of your room layout all influence the final figure.
But cabinetry is the foundation of every kitchen, and one of the biggest decisions you’ll make.
That’s why we’ve created this simple comparison of our two core cabinetry approaches, Puustelli Miinus, and Sustique Engineered.
Kitchen size
You will see that we've given investment ranges based on the number of units, not the physical size of a space. Investment is always determined by how much cabinetry a design involves. The same size space that excludes wall units will involve less investment. Same space, different number of units.
Investment cost ranges
Miinus
Small kitchen (8 units) £7,500 - £11,500 plus VAT
Medium kitchen (15 units) £10,500 - £16,500 plus VAT
Large kitchen (22 units) £15,500 - £23,500 plus VAT
Engineered
Small kitchen (8 units) £3,500 - £4,500 plus VAT
Medium kitchen (15 units) £5,000 - £6,500 plus VAT
Large kitchen (22 units) £7,500 - £9,500 plus VAT
Primary materials
Miinus
Puustelli Smartframetm
OSB
Birch Ply
Real wood veneers
Engineered
Melamine Faced Chipboard (MFC)
Learn about Smartframetm
Learn about Smartframetm
Smartframetm is a highly innovative response to how to make kitchen cabinets using less virgin material. They're made from a bio-composite material that uses fibres extracted from recycled plastic, glass, wood, cloth, and hemp. These are mixed with cellulose to produce bio-composite pellets. These are heated and the melted mix is injection moulded to create Smartframes.
Smartframe is waterproof, guaranteed for 30 years, non-toxic, and has an M1 Indoor Air Quality rating.
Learn about OSB
Learn about OSB
Oriented Strand Board (OSB) is an engineered wood panel made from compressed strands of timber. It offers structural strength and efficient material use, but specification and emissions matter.
Learn more about real wood veneers
Learn more about real wood veneers
Real wood veneer provides the appearance and warmth of natural timber while using substantially less solid wood than equivalent full timber construction.
Learn about MFC
Learn about MFC
MFC (melamine-faced chipboard) is a widely used cabinet material. Quality varies significantly depending on board specification, recycled content, emissions profile, and manufacturing standards. Sustique's Engineered range uses board manufactured in the UK by Egger. The boards contain up to 70% recycled content and are recyclable.
MDF content
MDF is common in the kitchen industry, but the emission profile, density, moisture behaviour, and repairability need to be considered carefully. MDF has little recycled content and is commercially unviable to recycle. Consequently, end-of-life means landfill or incineration.
Miinus
MDF is not used
Engineered
MDF is not used
Low-VOC
Indoor air quality matters more than many people realise. Modern kitchens contain cabinetry, adhesives, finishes, flooring, and other materials that can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the home. Independent standards such as M1, GREENGUARD, French A+, AgBB, and E1 help assess emissions performance, but not all standards measure the same things. Understanding these certifications can help you make healthier, more informed material choices.
Miinus
M1 Indoor Air Quality Rating
Engineered
E1 Formaldehyde Certification
More about M1 testing
More about M1 testing
M1 is a respected Finnish indoor air quality certification that tests products for low chemical emissions, including VOCs and formaldehyde. It is considered one of Europe’s stronger low-emissions standards and is designed to support healthier indoor environments. Products carrying M1 certification have been independently assessed for emissions performance, not just marketing claims.
E1 rating explained
E1 rating explained
E1 is a European formaldehyde emissions standard for wood-based panels such as chipboard, MDF, and plywood. It confirms that a material meets recognised limits for formaldehyde release, helping reduce indoor air quality concerns. However, E1 focuses specifically on formaldehyde compliance, it is not a broader low-VOC indoor air quality certification like M1.
Construction
Miinus
Component assembly
Smartframes
OSB, Solid birch, and Birch ply bracings
No glue
Engineered
MFC board
Glue and dowel, and cam and dowel assembly
Low-VOC glues
Repair and Maintenance
Miinus
Designed for repair and refurbishment
Smartframetm is reusable
Individual unrepairable components can be replaced
Smartframetm facilitates reconfiguration of units
Engineered
Repair is conditional on wear and tear
Replacement of whole cabinets if unrepairable
Reconfiguration is conditional on wear and tear
More about Miinus repair and maintenance
More about Miinus repair and maintenance
Miinus is a modular, component-based system. If a component fails, only the component needs replacing. This is a design feature of the Miinus cabinetry system. Repair and maintenance is expected. It's one of the reasons Miinus has a significantly longer life expectancy than conventional kitchen cabinetry.
More about Engineered repair and maintenance
More about Engineered repair and maintenance
Engineered uses a traditional cabinet construction. This is typically glue and dowel, or cam and dowel. If parts of a cabinet need replacing the only practical resolution is to replace the whole cabinet. Even this can be challenging, subject to how the kitchen has been installed. Conventional fitted kitchen cabinetry is almost always fitted with total ripout expected at the end of life. Repair and maintenance is generally limited to fittings such as hinges and drawer runners, not the cabinets.
Water resilience
Miinus
Puustelli Smartframetm is waterproof
Wood products have good water resilience
Refurbishment may be required, not replacement
Engineered
MFC is vulnerable to water exposure
Replacement will be required if compromised
More about Miinus water resilience
More about Miinus water resilience
Puustelli Smartframetm is waterproof. Bracings between frames are a combination of solid birch, birch ply, or wood veneered osb. These materials have better water resilience than materials like mdf and chipboard. If any bracings are compromised by extended water exposure, only the affected bracing needs to be replaced, not the whole cabinet.
More about Engineered water resilience
More about Engineered water resilience
Engineered uses MFC board. The melamine facing provides a level of water resilience, but if the chipboard core is exposed to water/moisture it will swell. This will compromise the structural integrity of the board. In this case the whole cabinet will need to be replaced.
Modifiable/Upgradeable
Miinus
Designed to facilitate modification
Designed to facilitate upgrading
Engineered
Not designed to be modified
Upgrading parts possible
Modifying and upgrading Miinus
Modifying and upgrading Miinus
At the heart of Miinus is the Smartframetm. This is what makes Miinus highly modifiable and reconfigurable. Units can easily be uninstalled if necessary. Smartframes are reusable, so moving units and changing sizes or function is a design feature.
Modifying and upgrading Engineered
Modifying and upgrading Engineered
Engineered cabinetry is conventional construction. Cabets can be modified, but this is not a designed-in feature of their construction. Removing a cabinet for modification may be straightforward or not. It depends on how the cabinet has been installed. Resizing a cabinet, or changing its function from a cupboard to drawers, or vice versa, will involve cutting and drilling. This will expose edges and add more exposed holes in cabinetry. These should be sealed. Unscrewing and then re-using the same screw hole will require additional fittings to overcome weakened fixing points.
Circular design
Circular design is focused on using materials and products that can have a next life. Circularity is not be confused with recycling. Circularity is not merely an environmental idea. It's smart to design products that wil last longer and have another life.
Miinus
Smartframetm - designed to be reused
Smartframetm 100% recyclable for use in new frames
Engineered
MFC recycled content recovered for new boards
Longevity
Miinus
Smartframes can be reused multiple times
Wood components can be refurbished or replaced
All elements can be recycled
Reconfiguration and modification extend usefulness
Engineered
Reuse conditional on wear and tear
Recycling or incineration at end-of-life
Style options
Miinus
19 door options
Stain, lacquer, and painted finishes
Extensive paint options
Engineered
2 door options
60+ finishes
No painted options
Puustelli door selector
Puustelli door selector
Puustelli have provided a door selector tool on their website. It contains all the doors they make, not just Miinus doors. The link below will take you to the door selector, but you need to use the "Feature" filter to ensure you are only seeing Miinus doors. Sustique does not specify non-Miinus doors.
Puustelli kitchen simulator
Puustelli kitchen simulator
Puustelli have provided a useful kitchen simulator that can be used to visualise different materials and finishes for kitchens. It does not cater for all finishes, but it can help to get a feel for how different combinations of materials and finishes work together.
Egger room inspirations visualiser
Egger room inspirations visualiser
Egger provides a room inspiration tool on their website. This covers all room types, not just kitchens. It helps visualise different board finishes in different settings.
Handleless options
Miinus
Push-to-open
J-Pull door option
Integrated profile handle options
Engineered
Gola rail system
Push-to-open
Environmental considerations
Miinus
Less virgin material used
Smartframetm made with recycled fibres
Carbon neutral
Non-toxic to make and handle
M1 indoor air quality rating
Reduced material volume
Reduced waste
Reusable, Recyclable
Engineered
Up to 76% recycled material in boards
Up to 76% recovered for new boards
Carbon neutral
E1 formaldehyde rating
Why Puustelli Miinus is environmentally responsible
Why Puustelli Miinus is environmentally responsible
Puustelli Miinus has been designed to minimise environmental impact throughout its lifecycle. Traditional kitchen materials have been replaced with more sustainable alternatives, including the innovative bio-composite Smartframetm, which uses significantly less material than conventional cabinetry. Every component has been assessed to reduce carbon emissions from production through to transport and end-of-life recycling. Miinus kitchens are durable, repairable and adaptable, helping to extend their lifespan and reduce waste. They are also designed to support healthy indoor air quality, using low-emission, non-toxic materials.
Visit Puustelli for more about Miinus being an environmentally friendly kitchen system
Learn about Puustelli's Natural Steps program
Learn about Puustelli's Natural Steps program
Puustelli embarked on a strategy as far back as 1989 to reduce emissions in conjunction with furniture production at the Harjavalta facilities and to offset emissions through long-term action by selected partners. Natural Steps is the programme through which Puustelli advances its objective to be a carbon-neutral business by 2035. Miinus has been and remains a catalyst for transferring manufacturing practices and material use and sourcing throughout Puustelli.
Learn more about the MFC boards used to make Engineered cabinetry
Learn more about the MFC boards used to make Engineered cabinetry
The Sustique Engineered range uses high-quality MFC (melamine-faced chipboard) from EGGER, one of Europe's leading wood-based panel manufacturers. EGGER places sustainability at the heart of its business, sourcing wood from responsibly managed forests and making extensive use of recycled wood in its products. The company follows a circular approach, designing materials to remain in use for as long as possible before being recycled into new boards. EGGER also provides transparent environmental information, including independently verified environmental product declarations (EPDs), helping customers make informed choices. Their boards are low-emission, durable, and designed to support healthier indoor environments while reducing demand for virgin raw materials.
Range suitability
Miinus
Strong fit for:
long-term, sustainability-led projects
ultra-low voc projects
flood resilience projects
lowest life-time costs
Engineered
Good fit for:
budget-limited sustainability
no added formaldehyde projects
bespoke cabinetry
handleless rail function and aesthetic
Range lead times
Miinus
6-8 working weeks from order
Extends to 8-10 in mid-summer and Christmas
Engineered
3-5 working weeks from order
Extends to 4-6 mid-summer and Christmas
Please remember, this table covers cabinetry only. Premium choices for other elements can easily double your required investment.
Visit our contact page if want to message us about anything. You can also book a short 15 minute call, or a free 1 hour design consultation.